Claire ’s Comments (group member since Dec 09, 2016)

Claire ’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Fiona wrote: "Claire, could you please add your read books to the shelf? Thank you 😊"

Added. Sorry about that.

Fiona wrote: "Claire wrote: "I am still confused. The countries for round one need to be read before round 2 countries or can we bank books?
If I add books in the first page, do the moderators put them in place..."

I see that. :sometimes I know where a book could fit, but I cannot add books in the mini’s as there are formulas there. Or do I delete them? Just making sure before I mess up.

I am still confused. The countries for round one need to be read before round 2 countries or can we bank books?
If I add books in the first page, do the moderators put them in place later?

I will read the BOM of june. In may I might be a bit more absent due to traveling.

For Nigeria, I recommend My Sister, the Serial Killer and Children of Blood and Bone, great for the fantasy fans here.

Melindam wrote: "Yes, you just need to add the info on the books tab. You did it correctly. :)"

Thank you!

I hope it is okay only to add the books in the first column, cause I don’t want the other columns messed up 🤦🏼‍♀️

I have this book on my tbr shelf for a hard to read country
Stilte is mijn moedertaal. It is set in Sudan. I’ll add it to the books.

Not sure, but if more people read the BOM does that gives us more points?

Hi everyone. Very curious and excited for this challenge!
My favourite places in the world: France a country that never disappoints cause of the variety and beauty of the different regions. Rome, much more than the city of popes, a city where you see in every street and every corner the history of 2500 years. And I really love my own city, Antwerp, that combines history with contemporary live, design and art.

I would love to visit so many more cities and countries but given my age and health, I’ll stick to Europe. Here I would love to visit Vienna, Madrid, Pompei and the Greek islands. And Sweden or Noway…

I love to travel by car, but in a slow way, not driving too far and enjoying lots of stops at beautiful places.

If I were allowed the books of 3 authors, I’d take the books of John Irving,the series of Robin Hobb and maybe the work of Iris Murdoch.

However, if you ask me the same question, I might answer totally different.

My tower shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Start 1 may 2025


Heavy Gusts = 13-24 books.
Gale Force Winds = Read 25-35 books.
Rules: Read books from the following categories.

• “April showers bring May flowers.” - Read a book with flowers or rain on the cover.
• “Be that as it may.” - Read a book with a title that starts with the letter “B”. Or has an author whose name (first or last) that begins with “B”. Or with a series names that begins with “B”. Or a character’s name (first or last) begins with “B”.
• “Cinco de Mayo.” - Read a book that is fifth in a series, or has five words or letters in the title.
• “Come what may!” - Read a book with a futuristic setting.
• “Devil-may-care attitude.” - Read a book where the protagonist has this attitude. (i.e. Heedless of caution; reckless. Jovial and rakish in manner.)
• “He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day.” - Read a book where someone gets bullied. Or where the protagonist is a professional fighter or gets in a fight. Or a story about survival.
• “How may I help you?” - Read a book where the protagonist helps someone out.
• “If I may be so bold...” - Reader’s Choice.
• “It may account for...” - Read a book with an accountant protagonist, or someone who deals with numbers. Or is an account based on a true historical event.
• “I may be crazy, but...” - Read a book where the protagonist gets “Gaslighted”... or a little crazy, paranoid, spooked, or rattled.
• “Let the chips fall where they may.” - Read a book that has the words from this expression found in the title, series name, or author’s, or character’s name [i.e. “let,” “chip(s),” “fall,” “where,” “they,” or “may”].
• Mae West. - Read a book with a black & white cover. Or is set in Hollywood. Or where the protagonist is a vamp.
• “May the better man win!” - Read a book where a competition takes place.
• “May Day!” - Read a book that is first in a series. Or where the protagonist attends a fair.
• “May-December Relationship.” - Read a book with quite a gap in years between protagonists’ ages. This does NOT have to be a Romance book.
• “May the force be with you.” - Read a book with stars on the cover. Or is set in outer space.
• “May he rest in peace.” - Read a book with ghosts. Or where someone dies. Or has a graveyard or tombstone on the cover.
• “May I be excused?” - Read a book that is written in the first person POV. (Point of View.)
• “May I count on you?” - Read a book with a number in the title. (Examples found on listopia’s Nothing But Numbers.)
• “May I take a message?” - Read an inspirational book.
• “May I take your order?” - Read a book where the protagonist is a waitress, or short-order cook, or takes orders of some kind. (Just a few examples on listopia’s Waitress Heroine in Romance.)
• “May Pole” (AKA May Poll) - Read a book on a listopia list. Or is set in Poland. Or written by a Polish writer. Or won one of our BOM polls (past or current). (Examples found on listopia’s Best Polish Books.)
• “May the road rise to meet you...” - Read a book with a road on the cover. Or someone takes a road trip.
• “May you live in interesting times...” - Read a book where someone is cursed. Or one with lots of danger, uncertainty, and chaos.
• “Maybe, maybe not.” - Read a book that you’ve been pondering for awhile.
• “Mayday! Mayday!” - Read a book where the protagonist works as some type of emergency personnel: fireman, policeman, paramedic. Or someone makes or receives a distress call. Or where someone uses a radio. Since this word may derive from the French expression “venez m'aider” - which translates to “come help me” - we’ll also take any book set in France. Also, in The Handmaid's Tale, they used “Mayday” as a code to identify themselves as part of the resistance - so, we’ll take a protagonist that is part of one, or any plot involving some hidden code.
• “The merry month of May.” - Read a book that is humorous.
• “Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are.” - Read a book with a mirror or car on the cover. Or one where the protagonist is an illusionist, magician, or interacts with mirrors in some way.
• “Seven Days in May.” - Read a book that is seventh in a series. Or has the word “day(s)” in the title, series, author, or character name. We will take the alternate spelling of “Daye,” as in the series October Daye.
• “Sticks and stones may break my bones.” - Read a book with a word in the title that rhymes with “may” -- or where the title rhymes alone. (Examples: Double Play (“play” rhymes with “may” -- or Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, where title is a rhyme itself.)
• “Terms & conditions may apply.” - Read a book that fits another challenge.
• “Things may look good on the surface...” - Read a book with an attractive cover.
• “To whom it may concern.” - Read a book with a stand-alone “letter” in the title. Or by an author with a stand-alone “letter” in their name. Or read a book of memoirs. Or one that has a letter or envelope on the cover. (Examples: C, by Tom McCarthy; author J.R. Ward; All Creatures Great and Small; or maybe something like these found on this listopia .)
• “Try as I may.” - Read a book that was published any day in May, of any year.
• “Warning: May be hazardous to your health.” - Read a book where someone finds themselves in a precarious situation. Or where a character gets an illness. Or is a cigarette smoker.
• “You may well ask!” - Read a book with a question mark -- or an exclamation mark -- in the title.

Option # 2: Spell- it -Out
Spell out the word "Mother's Day".

M
O
T
H
E
R
S
D
A
Y

5.Polyphemus very hard
◾️character engages in some sort of trickery (your interpretation)
Book: Odyssee Stephen Fry
Pages: 368p.
Read: 18;april
How it fits: Odysseus tricks cyclope by hiding under the sheep

Task: ◾️The letters liver in title
2. Caucasian eagle moderate
Book: Vrije vogels Ilja Gort
Pages: 240 p.
Read: 14 april
How it fits: VRIjE vogeLs
Page count book

1. Erymanthian boar very hard

Task: read a book with snow on the cover
Book: Winter in de B&B Kaat De Kock
Pages:232 p.
Read: 15 april

April 1st - May 31st.

Level:

🌸 Petal Prodigy: Read 13–20 books
Completed: 8
H Moord op de golflinks Agatha Christie 208 p. 9 april Hercule
O Odyssee Stephen Fry 368p. 18;april
N Nooit, nooit, nooit Linn Strømsborg 5 april 256 p.
E Eeuwige vriendschap Nele Neuhaus 20 april 578 p.
Y
S
U
C Dageraad boven de boete Suzanne Collins 464 p. 1 april
K Winter in de B&B Kaat De Kock 232 p. 15 april
L Mathilde Leïla Slimani 3 april 356 p.
E Noem me bij jouw naam André Aciman 257 p. 4 april Elio MC

Option 1 - a combination of books that spell out a type of flower: can use 1st letter of title (or of the next word if a, the, an, etc are first word), 1st letter of a character's name who is in the book, or the first letter of the author's first or last name
Option 2 - a combination of books that mention flowers in them
Option 3 - a combination of books that use floriology in the book
Option 4 - a combination of books that have characters with floral names
Option 5 - a combination of books that mention a flower in the title
Option 6 - a combination of books that have covers that are the color of your favorite flower
Option 7 - any combination of the above

1 april- 30 april
8 completed
Rhyming Rebel: 9–16 books

P
O
E
T
R
Y

1. Read a poetry collection
2. Read a novel in verse
3. Read a book by a poet laureate (past or present)
✔️4. Read a book with a poetic or lyrical writing style Mathilde Leïla Slimani 3 april 356 p.
5. Read a book featuring a character who writes poetry
6. Read a biography or memoir of a poet
7. Read a book with “poetry” or “verse” in the title
8. Read a translated poetry collection
9. Read a book by a BIPOC poet or author
✔️10. Read a book with a one-word title Nachtangst Ronald Giphart 182 p. 10 april
✔️11. Read a book with a cover that features flowers or feathers
BloedverwantStuart Neville 296 p. 8 april

12. Read a book set in April or spring
✔️13. Read a book with a cover in pastel colours 4. Nooit, nooit, nooit Linn Strømsborg 5 april 256 p light green
14. Read a book with fewer than 150 pages
15. Read a book with a title that rhymes
16. Read a book featuring themes of love, freedom, or nature
17. Read a book with a poet as a character
✔️18. Read a book with a dedication or epigraph from a poem

Dageraad boven de boete Suzanne Collins 464 p. 1 april

19. Read a poetry-themed children’s book
20. Read a book written in free verse or blank verse
✔️21. Read a book that’s been adapted into a spoken-word performance

Moord op de golflinks Agatha Christie 208 p. 9 april

✔️22. Read a book with an author born in April
Noem me bij jouw naam André Aciman 257 p. 4 april
✔️23. Read a book published in April
Vrije vogels Ilja Gort 240 p. 14 april
1 april 2022
24. Read a book with the word “soul,” “dream,” or “voice” in the text or title
25. Read a book with a photo or painting of a poet on the cover

Caucasian eagle

Task: read a book with liver in the title

BOOK: Ikigai: Het Japanse geheim voor een lang en gelukkig leven Fransesc Miralles Hector Garcia
PAGES: 191 p.
DATE READ : 18 march

Erymanthian boar

TASK: MPG Animal
BOOK: Reisverslag van een kat Hiro Arikawa
PAGES: 239 p.
DATE READ: 13 march
HOW IT FITS: MPG animals

CHARYBDIS

TASK: Author's name (first or last) starts with one of the letters in POOL
BOOK: Woman Lucy Woesthoff
PAGES: 208 p.
DATE READ: 11 march
HOW IT FITS: Lucy